Working While You Wait

The bad thing about being unemployed during a period of high unemployment, besides the obvious of being jobless, is that the competition can be unusually fierce. Though I encourage pursuing the ideal (whether it’s a company-paid position, freelance work, or business start-up), career nirvana may be a few steps away in this economic environment. Over the years, in good times and lousy ones, I’ve met folks who have started or retooled careers in entry-level positions; they laid the groundwork for greater opportunities and, when the time was right, moved up and along quickly. Here are some uneven career paths.

Management Development Program

I had always thought of management trainee programs as being for new college grads but a veteran manufacturing manager went this route to learn the banking business (fortunately with a well-run institution). While his peers were still figuring out business models and P&L statements, he was forming relationships with business owners, quickly assessing their cash flow needs, and closing deals.

Field Sales

Going on the road seemed like an odd move for a guy who used to be a national sales manager and then president of an apparel company. But he wanted to move into the golf industry and decided he could shorten his learning curve by making sales calls on golf pros. In about year, he was ready to take on a sales leadership position for a golf apparel company and, in less than 10 years, more than tripled his group’s sales with profit margins that topped all other divisions.

Front-line Sales and Customer Service

Front-line, entry-level positions (retail sales associate and bank teller) were the way a couple of recent college grads got a start with companies that led to a promotion as a logistics analyst and selection for a management training program. Showing dedication to a company, learning about the structure, and being able to apply for internal postings gave each an edge. I also know a person who worked a side job in retail sales and moved to pharmaceutical sales, owing largely to his success in establishing relationships, presenting ideas, and generating stellar sales results.

Childcare Provider / Household Overseer

Someone I spoke with recently helped a family friend by running a household and taking care of children while the family made a cross-country move. After vacating a sales management position, she joined them so she could also relocate, took a temporary position with a promising company, and earned a promotion to a project management position.

Assistant

Slowly building a career, starting as a nursing assistant and then adding credentials (first RN, then Nurse Practitioner through a Master’s degree program) helped one person transition from a declining industry to one with potential. Part-time work provided field experiences that laid a foundation for continued growth. Similarly, other folks I know have worked first as a teacher's assistant on a part-time basis, and then earned credentials and moved to a full-time teaching job.

Freelancer

An actor and voice-over artist took several months away from a real job to launch the freelance portion of his career. He dreamed up a marketing plan and then made contacts that could help him land gigs. After returning to the workforce, he was able to use his free time to perform (and get paid for) his services rather than spend time marketing them.

Contractor

For whatever reason, my friend's target organization didn't hire him as an official employee so he worked for a few years as a contractor. He did get to show his capabilities and, after he learned to document them on paper, got noticed. When he finally got employee status, it was for a position in a high-profile facility that engages his expertise.

You may be in one of these situations right now, are content, and intend to stay right where you are. Or you might be considering taking such a job to ride out the storm of unemployment; picking the right position, one aligned closely with your long-term goals, is essential. Though working at anything should be valuable in nearly any situation, being strategic about your decisions now can make you look brilliant later. And, even if you don’t impress all potential employers, you can learn some things that you can leverage in a new job. Just remember to move on before you get stuck in a job you don’t want forever.

Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.

Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

When I saw the title, I totally expected this to be a productivity piece on choosing automotive repair shops with free wireless. That would have been cool as well, but this is an interesting breakdown of ways to weather the economic storm. Good job.

Thanks y'all. I started with A Job While You Wait but then realized that not everyone has to have outside employment to get through this period. I do try to work while I am waiting but sometimes it is easier to take a break and read magazines; cool idea about finding an auto shop with wireless.

The Jeep dealership closest to our house where my husband takes the vehicle has it. It's clean there, there's coffee and we've run into a few of the nicer garages and dealerships that have it. Sometimes you even get CNN and a snack bar. But a comfy non-greasy chair with a side table and electrical outlet / free wireless is our new standard. You can bring a water bottle, but free wireless while you wait sometimes for hours at a time rocks. You can at least crank out some quality research and writing during that time that would otherwise be lost.

I totally agree with your ideas here. I think the key to this is the word "work". You have to work hard and be wise but making a transition is totally possible. I am doing this now. I started by volunteering at places related to the job I wanted, this gave me contacts and a reputation with people in the business. Then when a job came up, they knew me and asked if I was interested. By building from the gound up, you learn the whole scope of your "industry" and you are more attractive as an employee. As a side, I also started a small home business to keep income flowing and provide some tax benefits. Great Article!